Humorous and insightful commentary about art and life in general. Exhibition reviews, explorations on creativity and essays about stuff that happens to all of us in everyday life.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Stark County Artists Exhibition 2017 - MassMu

Not what I wanted to show, but my mail is constipated and won't download images from the show at the Museum itself...so in the meantime, enjoy "Circus Cactus"!

Well yes….it has been a very long time since I have written
any blogs or reviews. The reasons why are formulating in my mind so as to make
them coherent enough for a blog of their own.
Very awkward that this review should be posted after such a hiatus since
the show in question has my entry selected as Best in Show. Now that that
elephant has been duly placed on the sofa, let’s move on…..

Stark County Artists Exhibition 2017 at the Massillon Museum

The opening was well attended for a new afternoon time slot.
For those attending other evening events, it was a welcome change. Quick exits
were needed for some of us that had places to be so I went back on Tuesday to
enjoy the show in solitude. 55 works
(well-spaced to avoid overcrowding but I missed the use of the ramp walls), 40
artists (I still abide by the no more than 2 per artist limit) with 189 pieces having
been submitted for jury. Theme color this year: orangey reds. Chosen
by 3 jurors whose selections appear to be more cohesive than in past shows,
they must have agreed for the most part, as the final cut is not strained
thereby avoiding obviously fought over klunkers. The wall color chosen for the show is
stunning. The deep hue is very complimentary to most all of the works. Oh Judi (not Judith) what color is it? I’d say
a saturated blue grey with just a whisper of eggplant.

For the sake of staying concise and within a reasonable
reading time, I have picked out pieces that immediately brought words mind.
Whether I got what the artist wanted to say probably doesn’t apply to some of
these observations but I was going with the gut reaction, maybe like a “regular
viewer”, and not someone who is supposed to know better. One shall also do this alphabetically….thank
you program doubling as notepaper.

Oh before I start, I would have made one itsy bitsy teeny
weenie switch of two pieces…. Heather Bullach’s “Jamie” belongs over Circus
Cactus and the Zotta “PokeMatryoshka” belongs under the Strader drawing.
“Jamie” felt rather shmushed under there and her colors not appreciated. (Spell
check hated this section!)

William Bogdan’s woodcut “Man, Bed, Cat”….I love me some
cats! The placement of the two figures, a sleeping man and a sprawling cat,
leave one to wonder who is on the bed and who is on the floor? The expanse of
green real estate leaves me to believe that the creature unable to open a can
did indeed win this round. I have come to accept the imperfect presentation of
his works, they reflect the artist and his methods as we are all nicked and
marked in one way or another.

Heather Bullach and “Embers”. This is visual poetry folks.
If you want to understand classical composition in a simple form, note the
following….the purple tones are equally divided between the top and the bottom
of the image, but one element (the sky) is far larger in use of space. Enjoy
this a moment then look at it upside down (yes, you have to lean way over.) Now
you will see the same setting sunlight reflected on the surface of a pond or
lake. Land still functioning as land but completely relocated. Fascinating!

A David Dingwell photograph entitled “Confluence in
Miniature”. As a former subscriber to
the Nutshell News during my dollhouse days, this was truly interesting to
study. I know it is done by computer and all, but it just made me want to see a
Godzilla rising up out of the river and crushing all those bridges!

“Peace on Earth” by Susan Eitelman is truly lovely. Not a
great art word to use, but this felted piece of wool and silk worm cocoons
(okay you win for best use of an unusual material) also wins the award for
irony of image….sheep depicted in wool.
It is just a gem of color, scale and content of what could have been a
boring picture in any other media. The textures are so well chose for each form
rendered.

Allison Smith with “Split Complementary Progression” is a
hand dyed, hand woven (really? No wonder I got a C in weaving…that stuff is
hard!) creation using linen and hemp yarns. At first one is put off by the wavy
parts because it feels off next to the very flat sections but then one realizes
they are standing way too close. To appreciate the changes of color and the
reason for the shapes, you need to be back about 5 feet. Then you notice how
those wavy parts are contained and restricted by the sturdier forms (complimentary
textures), how the colors flow past one another to change sides, and then
continue right off the bottom of this piece like wet paint dripping down.

Brien Strancar and his Honorable Mention “Dipped and Cut,
RGB series No. 1” and “American Spirits”.
Love it, dead American icons (hence spirits) on bottles that once held
liquors (or spirits). I kept looking for that one little kiss of contemporary
comedy, but that is just me, like a shark fin along the boat or maybe a snorkel
but that is how my mind works…. Great job on the engraving though. The second
piece (which got the HM) took me in an all political direction. Again, I am
going with the gut, but I saw an elephant which took me to Trump which made me
associate the green with envy, the red with blood and the blue with icy veins
and I got all caught up in a political statement. And it is politics which
brings me to the piece that I am probably going to butcher in interpretation
but my context is current events…..

“After the Sermon” by Tom Wachunas. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker may not be current,
but the whole issue going on now with politicians, media moguls, people in
power positions having severe cases of Happy Hands just seemed to come together
in this title and rendering. The Bakkers were televangelists (religious), she
had iconic eyelashes that ran mascara like Niagara Falls (feathers) and the
hand prints are evidence of past transgressions in today’s cultural climate. It
may be a piece in black and white, but the story behind ones actions is never
that way. Do we embrace our sinners or cut them loose, are they deflated and
faceless once exposed, or do we hold them close to keep watch? Who knows, he
has provided us a lot to think about in this piece.

And I am at the limit of my word count. Thank you for
allowing me to express my thoughts on this show. Please go and see it before
Jan. 31st. Congrats to all of
my fellow winners and artists who continue to put their souls on display. If I
did not call your name, you are through to the next round.

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About Me

I have been a working artist for over 35 years. My paintings have been included in shows all across the United States as well as in solo exhibitions. Visit my gallery site (www.judikrew.com) for more information and a look at some of my acrylic paintings, pastel drawings and hoard couture dresses. I have a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Akron Honors Program and an MA in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University.